


Before The Sun Sets

by ThereIsNoTragedyInThat



Series: The Space Between the First and Last Breath [14]
Category: The Old Guard (Comics), The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Drabbles, Fluff and Angst, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani is an Incurable Romantic, Kissing, M/M, Protective Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, every kind, like all the kissing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:07:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26644957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat/pseuds/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat
Summary: 50 kisses in 50 ficlets from my Tumblr.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: The Space Between the First and Last Breath [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947598
Comments: 35
Kudos: 121





	1. Eternal

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts found here: https://kashimalin-fanfiction.tumblr.com/post/178524845380/50-types-of-kisses-writing-prompts

The sun drifted into the small room of the safe house, sending a kaleidoscope of colour cascading over the two figures entwined beneath the too thin sheets. The other beds had long been empty, leaving them to wake in privacy, a hard-won event these days. Joe had every intention to take advantage of it, which he did by gently tracing the features of the man next to him, finger hovering lightly only centimeters above his skin.

Nicolò had dark circles beneath his eyes, a testament to the many nights they’d been on the run. It was difficult enough for him to sleep without needing to be on guard every moment of every day. He did not want to wake him but there wasn’t much time left before the others returned and they would need to prepare themselves for another day of arduous travel.

Joe knew he was smiling, didn’t bother to stifle the way his heart swelled with warmth as Nicolò let out a soft sigh, his head tilting closer to him. He was on the verge of waking of his own accord so he chose to take advantage of the moment and he leaned forward so he could pepper kisses across his beloved’s face.

The first kiss was pressed to his temple, making Nicolò’s eyes snap open and his body to go still. It lasted half a heartbeat before he relaxed, and an amused huff slipped from his lips. Joe paid him no mind, choosing instead to continue a trail of kisses across his cheekbone, over his nose, and around to his forehead. He could feel Nicolò’s eyes on him, watching him with the slight glossiness that came with early mornings, betraying how tired he still was.

Joe offered him a wide smile before placing delicate lips to his eyelids, forcing him to close them, if only for a second. Nicolò did not protest, even if his fond exasperation was obvious, not that such a thing had ever stopped Joe before.

Deciding that Nicolò had behaved himself admirably, he placed a final, chaste kiss to his lips. Beneath him, Nicolò hummed, a hand coming up to tangle gently in his hair, long fingers working wonders as he deepened it.

When Joe broke away, he was graced with a holy sight, one he longed for every moment of his waking life and even among the darkness of his dreams. His beloved Nicolò looked up at him with kind, loving eyes, and a smile that spoke of an eternal love, a love that Joe felt echoed in his soul.


	2. Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: A small, fleeting kiss - which is immediately followed by a passionate, hungry kiss.

It began on a cold night while sitting by the fire, blood still marking their skin and a sense of urgency in the air that was that bellied by their silence. Yusuf’s hands were shaking, sticky from where he’d tried to keep Nicolò’s insides from spilling into the dirt, his body slowly coming down from the surge of adrenalin that made him kill the soldiers who’d dared destroy what little peace they had found these past months.

It began with a look. Nicolò’s empty eyes coming back to life, reborn and reaching for him, where Yusuf kneeled, prayers spilling mindlessly from his lips. Then another look, as they held one another, a quiet intimate thing that made his soul ache and his tongue burn with all the things he wished to say but would not risk.

It began with Nicolò tilting his head toward him, something indescribable pulling them closer like a string that had finally snapped, and it had been so very exhausting to stay away all this time. Cracked, dry lips touched his, nothing more than a fleeting kiss, an uncertainty, a hope and Yusuf had never felt a sensation like this before, for it both hurt worse then any death he’d been condemned to and yet, was far sweeter then even the brightest of days.

Nicolò pulled away, eyes still closed, brows furrowed as though he feared to open them and see it all undone, the very same fears Yusuf had suffered from and he was so very tired of suffering. Heart beating wildly in his chest and hands tingling with the urge to pull the man closer, he gave in to it all because it was unbearable that Nicolò should ever be afraid that Yusuf did not love him.

He had barely begun to open his eyes before Yusuf reached forward, his hand settling on the back of his neck and tugging him closer. This kiss was not the hesitant, delicate one Nicolò had graced him with. No, this one was hungry and demanding, an answer to all their insecurities and too many nights in which they had not professed their love.

Nicolò responded in kind, his hands settling in his hair as he surged closer, their lips and teeth clashing in a dance that seemed almost sacred. In such a short time they’d come to know each other so well, had lived, died, and loved in the other’s presence, but now they was together, as one, as Yusuf believed they were always meant to be.

He could feel Nicolò’s heart against his chest, could hear his quiet gasps, could feel his need in the way he held him and Yusuf felt something in him slide firmly into place, a missing piece that he’d hadn’t known he needed. His eyes began to sting and when they finally pulled away, staring at each other with wide eyes, he saw the same emotion reflected in Nicolò.

Yusuf knew, as he twined their dirty hands together, that this man would be by his side forever.


	3. Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: A breathy demand: "kiss me."

Their skin is still speckled with blood, sweat, and dirt from a too long fight that ended with dead eyes and quiet pleas to wake up. Joe knew his hands were trembling, could see it where they were twisted tightly in the front of Nicolò’s shirt and he could feel his love’s racing heart in his chest.

Nicolò was looking at him, bright eyes moving over his face even though he must know Joe was fine, he’d come back, he’d always come back for him. The team was cleaning up only a few paces away, around the corner but they hadn’t batted an eye when they’d disappeared for a moment, they knew they wouldn’t go far.

When Nicolò pressed a calloused hand to his cheek, just holding him for a long moment, the little space between them became utterly unbearable. Joe yearned to feel him against him, to be anywhere but there so they could just hold one another.

There would be time for that later.

Nicolò smiled as though he could read his thoughts, shook his head a little bit and tilted his head forward, prompting Joe to do the same, until they were sharing the same breath, pressed tightly together and Joe couldn’t help himself. Gripping Nicky by the back of the neck, he let a pained whisper slip from his lips, giving voice to the yearning inside him.

“Kiss me.”

Nicolò was no more able to deny him then Joe was when his beloved asked for something. A quiet intake of breath was the only warning and then Nicolò was surging forward and the sensation of his beloved’s lips against his was pure comfort; like the warmth of the fireside, like a well-loved book read a million times over. In moments like this, it was as though they were one being, sharing mind and soul.

He never grew tired of it.

When Nicolò pulled away, it was the easiest thing in the world to rejoin the team, the pain of his momentary death, decidedly behind them.


	4. Resolute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: an accidental brush of lips followed by a pause and another kiss

Running from a fight had never really been their forte but in this case, he and Nicolò had felt the vibrations on the ground, heard the whoops and yells from further down the road, took one look at each other and decided this was not a fight they’d win. Yusuf wasted no time grabbing Nicolò’s hand and pulling him rapidly toward the side of the dusty road and toward the lip that would lead down a ravine and into the shelter of the woods.

Something warm and sweet stirred in his chest when Nicolò didn’t pull away, despite the impracticality of clinging to one another like this. There had been a time in the not so distant past when the man would shy away from his touches, not used to Yusuf’s tactile nature and as his affections for the man grew, it only speared his heart further.

Not anymore.

No, Nicolo held just as tightly as they dived, the tall grass and weeds clinging to their ankles and the low branches of the trees making them twist uncomfortably. Yusuf did not have time to call out a warning when suddenly, Nicolò was tripping, his weight and their hands bringing Yusuf with him as they went tumbling over the edge.

Unfortunately, the hill was steep and while it was an effective way of getting away from the soldiers, Yusuf found himself reaching for Nicolò, trying to keep in close as they rolled and rolled and rolled. More than one rock and stick dug into his back, his sides, his legs and Yusuf only hoped they weren’t making enough noise for the soldiers to bother investigating.

Hitting the bottom proved painful and wet. A shock of freezing water hit his body just as Nicolò landed firmly on top of him with a grunt of pain, expression twisted into a grimace and leaves sticking from his hair.

They looked at each other for a long moment as the sound of hooves disappeared into the distance. Quite suddenly the ridiculousness of it all and the sheer overwhelming pleasure he felt at Nicolò stretched over him, sent a laugh bubbling up his throat and into the small space between them.

Hardly seconds had passed until Nicolò joined him, his more reserved chuckle no less amused. Shaking his head, Nicolò tried to move, reaching a hand down into the icy water in an attempt to leverage himself, only for his arm, the one holding his weight, to slip and send him crashing back against Yusuf.

Lips brushed his and all the laughter died, extinguished like the flame of a candle.

Nicolò had lifted his head quickly and Yusuf found himself staring up at the man whom he had loved for nearly hundred years now, since the moment he first handed him water instead of his blade, still bloody from his most recent death. He was no less beautiful for the dirt on his skin and Yusuf was so very tired of the game they’d been playing, one that had gone on for far too long.

It seemed he was not the only one.

Nicolò’s bright eyes flicked down, resting on Yusuf’s lips…the moment dragging out to seem like a small eternity, the rocks and the cold water forgotten under the sudden intensity of that gaze. Yusuf found himself praying quietly in his mind, hoping, pleading that this was it…that Nicolò would make the move his own heart was too scared to risk.

It was answered by warm, chapped lips pressing gently against his once more, not accidental this time, intent if uncertain. Yusuf dared not move, not yet, not while Nicolò ran a careful tongue along the seam, shifted on top of his so that he could deepen the kiss, much more sure…utterly resolute.

Yusuf wrapped his arms tightly around the man he loved and rolled them with one well-placed push of his foot, out of the small stream and onto dry ground. Not once did he break the kiss, responding in kind, reassuring Nicolò that he felt all of it, all the love and hope and yearning they’d been sharing in the silence all this time.


	5. Relief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Throwing their arms around the other and then pulling them into a kiss

Joe was restless.

He moved around the sanctuary, mindlessly cleaning and moving things that didn’t need to be moved, found himself opening and closing the fridge, looking for anything to distract him the ticking of the clock. Nile’s eyes followed him from the couch, her brows furrowed and her mouth half opened like she wanted to comment…he was just grateful she didn’t.

Booker already knew better, had turned on a game and Joe wasn’t stupid, he knew it was meant to distract him, to tempt him away from his vigil by the windows. That simply wasn’t going to happen, and he knew he was being a little ridiculous but he’d long since given up any shame when it came to Nicolò.

They were late.

Nicky and Andy had to take another route to the safehouse, unintentionally of course and he knew he should be worrying about Andy and her new found mortality, except he knew his Nicolò would do everything in his power to keep her safe. Which was exactly what was putting him on edge in that moment, afraid that he would only see one person walking up that path.

Joe paused by the window after yet another circuit of the room and willed himself to calm down. Nicolò was capable and it was far from the first, even the hundredth time they’d been parted, leaving them waiting for the other. It was just that now…Andy’s mortality, her vulnerability was so fresh that it seemed to affect all of them, almost as though they were waiting for who would be next and he couldn’t bear to lose Nicky when he wasn’t by his side.

Movement from the corner of his eye knocked him out of his increasingly morose thoughts. Joe took one look out the window and he was moving swiftly toward the door, ignoring Booker’s soft “give them a minute,” when Nile jumped up too.

Joe swung open the door to find Nicolò already standing on the stoop with a smug smile and too soft eyes. His expression showed he understood, that he too had been counting the seconds until they arrived safely at the sanctuary. 

Choosing to ignore the blood on Nicky’s shirt and the small hole at the shoulder, Joe wrapped his arms around him, dragging him close and burying his face in Nicolò’s neck. Hands gripped the back of his shirt tightly and Joe felt something click into place as everything became right with the world again.

Nicky tugged him back only to pull him into a gentle kiss. There was a metallic tang to his lips, and Joe found himself clutching him closer, a reminder that he was there and alive. Nicky indulged him for a long moment until he leaned back again, his smile no longer smug, just happy.

Yes, everything truly was right with the world.


	6. Freely Given

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Breathless kiss brought on by a heartfelt gift.

Yusuf trudged out of the small village with a strange weight on his shoulders, one he did not entirely understand. The day was bright, and the birds chirped insistently, the morning dew still clinging to the long blades of grass. He was well fed and rested, his sword had not shed blood in nearly a week and by his side, his beloved Nicolò walked with a familiar sense of peace.

All was well.

Or at least it should be.

Chewing absently on his bottom lip, Yusuf’s fingers tingled with the urge to reach out and grab his hand, curious to know what his reaction may be. He didn’t, not yet anyway, not with them so close to the village and a very long day ahead of them.

It was strange, he decided.

He and Nicolò were complete opposites, in every sense of the word. There had been a time when he spent hours waxing poetic about that very thing, the sun and the moon, fire and water, rain and sky, just so he could see Nicolò roll his eyes or give him a private smile. Yet, they had managed to compliment each other well…even when they argued, it came to be like the sweetest music.

Which was why Yusuf couldn’t understand what had him so nervous.

Tucked away in his bag was his old weathered journal, gifted to him by his mother almost three years ago. The memory was bright with joy even if the remembering was soured by the fact, he now knew he’d never see her again. Inside the journal, the pages were dirty and smudged from years of use.

It told a story, one he’d flip through every night by the firelight while Nicolò busied himself with the horses, or the food, or any number of things. The first few drawings were the stumbling and frustrated attempts of a young man, usually of the most mundane of things. Eventually, as he began to find skill among the mess, they turned to things of meaning. His favourite room in his family home, his friends…his family.

Yusuf remembered slaving over a portrait of his sister, trying so damned hard to get the details right until one day, his mother had simply picked it up, despite his protests, and showed it to his sister. He was so sure she’d hate it, but instead, her eyes had lit up with joy.

Drawing his family, his people, had become the best way to pass his time.

Except…the last remaining pages of the journal no longer held those familiar imaginings. No, someone knew had stolen his creativity and his muse, had breathed new life into his hands and the paper, had arrested him with a passion he had feared he would never get back.

Nicolò was perfect in his strangeness and Yusuf felt as though it were a losing battle to capture him in every way, in every breath and look and movement, he simply thanked the stars that he had forever to try and do it.

He often felt Nicolò’s gaze on him these days, curious and a little hopeful whenever he began to draw. Yusuf would be lying if he said that didn’t break his heart a little bit, but he found himself unable to show him just yet, to bear his heart so completely, to let this man whom he’d given everything to, see just how deep it all ran for him.

It would only be Nicolò, for the rest of their days.

Except, he was ready. Or at least he was determined to show the man he loved this one last thing, the one thing that had been solely his own, even if the thought made his stomach twist with unease. The rest of the day went like that, them walking in comfortable silence, while Yusuf’s fears wreaked havoc on his mind.

It was only when they’d stopped for the night, sitting next to each other by the fire, Nicolò glancing at him with barely concealed worry in his too bright eyes, that Yusuf forced himself to shove it all aside. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out that familiar journal, running his hands gently over the cover.

Nicolò still hadn’t said a word so he finally met his love’s eyes and offered him a wide, if shaky smile, “I want to show you something.”

Blinking rapidly, Yusuf watched as the shadows from the fire danced over his lover’s expression, one that he’d long since identified as contemplation. He waited, long used to his lover choosing his words with care. In the end, a warm, calloused hand settled over his as Nicolò murmured with an earnestness he’d come to expect from him, “you do not have to.”

With those words, all of Yusuf’s fears disappeared. He squeezed Nicolò hand, “I want to.”

Opening the book was a practiced flick of his wrist, it fell open to a page he gazed at often, the spine long since having grown to mark it. It was an early drawing but a most precious one…it was of his mother and his father.

They sat there, by the fire, curled closely around one another as he gently turned the pages, regaling his lover with stories of his youth, sometimes stuttering on translations and chuckling softly as Nicolò tried to help him. As he spoke, the memories seemed to become tangible things, as though they were playing out in front of him and all the while, Yusuf found Nicolò watching, a small half-smile on his lips.

Sometimes he asked questions and other times he simply listened, his entire attention on the story and Yusuf felt _heard_. A strange thing to notice but it was almost as though he were gifting this man, the one whom he’d died and been reborn with, his very soul

When his voice had grown hoarse and the hour much too late, Yusuf flipped the page and there was Nicolò. This first drawing had been done reluctantly, while his lover slept peacefully, the first time he’d seemed to trust Yusuf enough to do so.

Here, words failed him.

Instead, Yusuf just flipped the pages, watching Nicolò’s reaction carefully, looking for any sign that he may be uncomfortable. Of course, he was fool to every worry about such things and his lover made sure he knew it.

“Yusuf.”

Bright blue eyes looked at him, into him, and then he was being kissed firmly, lips soft and wet against his own. All at once, he found himself breathless as he kissed him back, hands coming up to cup Nicolò’s cheek because he swore, he could feel the swell of love coming from him. It was a simple thing, a small thing, yet Yusuf had never known happiness quite like this.


	7. Morning Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: French Kissing (I did my best)

Joe inhaled deeply, his eyes firmly closed against the too warm sun, as he slowly worked his way to consciousness. Everything felt soft and comfortable and serene, as he remembered, with the exaggerated slowness of early mornings, that he was not in a dusty old safehouse but a rather expensive and lovely hotel.

Much more importantly, Joe felt Nicolò tucked into his arms, facing away, toward the door just as always and it was good knowing some things never changed. With a quiet sigh, he forced himself to open his eyes, blinking rapidly as he tried to see past the sunlight streaming in through the balcony doors.

He was gifted with a most beautiful sight for his struggles. Nicky was seemingly still asleep, though Joe knew that could not last long now that he was awake. His lover’s hair was messy and knotted from where Joe had gripped it last night, the pale skin of his back was already revealing a plethora a new freckles since the week they been in the sun, and his beloved’s face appeared well-rested for the first time in far too long.

Unable to help himself when his heart swelled so fully with affection for this man, he leaned forward and placed delicate kisses along his shoulder, needing to do something to ease the intensity inside him. Unsurprisingly, at the first touch of his lips, Nicolò’s breathing changed, just enough to indicate he was waking.

Smiling against his skin, Joe continued, following the line of his beloved’s shoulder until he reached his neck, where he paused, sucking carefully at the skin, just as Nicolò stretched, mouth open in a wide yawn.

“Buongiorno Nicolò,” Joe murmured, nibbling at his ear.

Nicky just groaned, wiping at his eyes as he tried to wake in the bright room. Joe paid him no mind, instead continued with a trail of kisses down his neck and back again, his ear, his temple…on and on until his lover slowly went lax in his hold.

Leaning up just a little, he reached over and placed a gentle hand on Nicky’s cheek, tilting his head until he was looking back at Joe, over his shoulder. He never got tired of the beauty that was Nicky’s eyes, the way the light reflected off the blue, making them appear as though they were endless.

It couldn’t be helped, Joe moved to kiss him, unable to bear the small space between them when he felt so much love in his heart. Sadly, he didn’t make it far before Nicky stopped him with a finger to his lips and a raised eyebrow, “respiro mattutino Joe.”

He narrowed his eyes because Nicky knew he cared little for morning breathe where his lover was concerned and caught the teasing glint. Surging forward, he kissed Nicky firmly, only to feel a hand tightening in his hair a moment later, tugging him even closer.

Nicky’s lips parted easily beneath his, something Joe cherished beyond measure through all their many years, the way he was always so trusting, willing, loving. It was the easiest thing in the world to slip his tongue inside, to feel Nicky against him, to pretend that this moment, alone in this hotel, was not the exception of their lives but the rule.

Not that he would trade what they do for anything.

Still, it was nice to imagine waking up with Nicky like this every morning, for the rest of their small eternity, with nothing but their bodies pressed together, their lips, their hands, their hearts winding together as one.

Nicky’s tongue traced his lips, his mouth, and Joe let himself sink into the sensations. There was an easily ignored stirring as heat settled in his stomach, up his spine. Joe knew there would be plenty of time for all of that later, but for now, he was happy to simply enjoy having Nicky in his arms.


	8. What I See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: A kiss to the back of the hand

Nicky remained perfectly still.

The sun had risen nearly thirty minutes ago and with it, Joe had dug out his sketch books, eyes alight with a familiar passion. His lover had slipped from the bed, eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Nicky’s position on the bed, before settling on the floor, cross-legged under the window.

For his own part, he hadn’t moved since he’d woken, had barely spoke a word and knew better then to do so now. Nicky was curled up on his side, one hand resting under the pillow, curled carefully around his gun, while his other arm rested limply on his waist. The comforter covered only his feet, which were chilled with the early morning frost…a feature he suspected affect the light in a such a way as to inspire Joe to capture what Nicky thought was a perfectly average sight.

He supposed it was because he wasn’t an artist but Nicky couldn’t imagine what was attractive about the ratty t-shirt he’d worn to bed and the thread bare pajama pants he’d thrown on in the dark once they finally got to the sanctuary. Regardless, Nicky wouldn’t dare ruin Joe’s fun, he simply would not do it.

So, he relaxed and watched.

Joe’s hand moved swiftly, the pencil scratching soothingly against the paper, his dark eyes glancing up at him, following the line of his body. It was a beautiful sight, seeing his lover so calm, completely taken over with his art. Nicky had taken to seeing it as a form of meditation for Joe, something that allowed him to escape completely for the few moments in which he focused on his sketch.

He felt a swell of affection warm his chest, a soft, aching sensation that made him want to reach out and pull his lover into his arms and their bed. It must have shown on his face, because the next time Joe glanced at him, he paused, a little smile on his lips, offered him a wink.

_Don’t move_ , it said, _I’m almost done_.

Nicky closed his eyes and waited, as he would always do for Joe.

Time passed slowly and he knew if he let himself, he could almost doze off under the warmth of the sun and Joe’s eyes. It would be the easiest thing in the world but he didn’t, instead, Nicky listened and remembered a time nearly thirty years ago now.

They spent a week in a little villa on the Greek coast, a beautiful place that still held a special place in his heart. Two whole days were spent in bed, surrounded by each other, their hands, their lips, their whispers. Nicky recalled the way they spent their waking moments completely captivated by one another, how, when they weren’t having sex, Joe had drawn him, almost feverishly. He remembered how he would press tiny pieces of fruit into his lover’s mouth, encouraging him to eat cause at that time it was so easy to forget, to get lost in one another.

Nicky had loved it, but it was also frightening, to feel so much.

A warm calloused hand took his, startling Nicky into opening his eyes, only to find Joe sitting down next to him, sketch book abandoned on the floor, “finished?”

Joe smiled and lifted the hand he had taken into his own, squeezing it softly before raising it to his lips, a gentle, barely there kiss being pressed to his knuckles and Nicky felt a shiver move through him. It was an old, gentlemanly action that made him narrow his eyes at the man he loved because of course he knew exactly what he was doing when being so soft.

“Yes, look.”

The paper was messy with the charcoal Joe had used but there was his own unmistakable form. As always, it brough a smile to his lips, seeing in each delicate line, the way his beloved saw him, the way he loved him so shamelessly.

“It’s beautiful.”

Joe shook his head, eyes sparkling, “You are beautiful my Nicolò, I simply draw what I see.”

Shaking his head, he twisted his wrist until he had a hard grip on Joe’s hand, pulling his chuckling lover down until he could press a hard, reproachful kiss to his lips. Today was shaping up to be a very good day.


	9. Saudade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: A kiss that last so long you share breath.
> 
> Saudade: Portuguese in origin. A deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for an absent something or someone that one cares for and/or loves. Moreover, it often carries a repressed knowledge that the object of longing might never be had again.

Joe was restless.

He sat in the uncomfortable chair of the small hotel room, fingers drumming against his thigh, eyes darting from the window to the door obsessively, and still he needed fight back the urge to jump up and pace the length of the hallway.

Across from him, Booker leaned against the wall, flask open, expression pinched. The obvious worry on the other man’s face did not help quell the rising sense of fear inside him, the sharp twisting of his stomach as the minutes ticked by.

They were late.

Their most recent mission had required some maneuvering, the kind that meant they moved swiftly and disappeared into the shadows quickly after. The moment they had separated, Joe had begun counting the days until they would meet back here…exactly within five days time of their fleeing the scene.

Today was day six. He and Booker had met up as they were meant to and had been waiting ever since. Andy and Nile were supposed to meet up with Nicky before making their way to the hotel…and right now Joe detested the rule that they must wait an additional forty-eight hours before contacting the team should they not show.

“Should we-” Joe began, causing Booker to wince.

“Not yet. I’m sure they are fine.”

The way his gaze flitted away suggested otherwise and Joe could not be still any longer. Getting to his feet, he suddenly found himself at a loss…he wanted to take a walk, get some air and try to be reasonable but he did not want to risk not being there when they did return

Booker shook his head and silently offered him his flask. Usually, Joe wouldn’t bother with the foul stuff his brother chose to drink, today he simply grabbed it and took a long swig of it, grimacing.

“Joe, you know they’re good…and if they hit a spot of trouble along the way, it doesn’t matter because we have their backs.”

Grasping Booker’s shoulder, he nodded, “you’re right. Of course, you’re right, its just that-”

“Nicky.”

“And the others,” he countered defensively.

Booker just raised an eyebrow because he knew him far too well and it was not fear for Nile and Andy making him anxious, it was the ever present sense of doom since Andy’s mortality that made him cling to Nicky’s side as if they were new love again. Joe was not ashamed to admit it just as he was not ashamed to announce his love to anyone that would listen.

Just as he’d resigned himself to settle into this torturous state…there was a gentle knock on their door, following a familiar pattern.

For the first time since he’d arrived to find Nicky and the others were not there, Joe froze, all that restlessness abruptly disappearing as he watched Booker approach the door, hand hovering over his sidearm. He watched as Booker squinted through the spyhole, waiting, hoping with bated breath.

The grin that was sent his way felt like a shot of morphine, washing away the worries that had plagued him, because that meant his Nicky, his Nicolò was here.

Booker swung the door open and Joe couldn’t see him but he heard the sound of his voice, whispering a hushed greeting and then his brother, smart man that he was, slipped around him and out the door, closing it behind him.

Nicky stood there, disheveled and exhausted, yet no less beautiful as a smile lit up his face.

They moved as one, as they always did, pulled together by the same invisible force that had kept Joe from leaving his side since they first died by each other’s hand. The moment he touched him, pulled him close and into his arms where he belonged, Joe felt the world shift beneath his feet, finding its equilibrium again and finally he could breathe.

When Nicky pressed his lips to his, Joe became utterly and completely lost in him. There was only the feeling of Nicky’s body against his, the scent of him, sweaty and earthy, the sound of his heartbeat that he knew as if it were his own. They did not move from that spot, unable to tear themselves away from the other, until Joe felt his lungs begin to burn and so he breathed, following the rhythm of his beloved until they shared everything, until they were finally, completely, irreversibly as one.

Only then…did they part, their foreheads still pressed close.

“I missed you,” Nicky murmured.

Joe did not need to open his eyes to know he was smiling but he did anyway, just so he could see it, “I know, and I missed you. Don’t ever make me wait again.”

The sheepish expression did not promise him anything and Joe knew better then to push. Instead, he ran his eyes over Nicky’s form, taking in the dirt and bullet holes in his clothes, the crusted blood hidden beneath the jacket he wore.

With a heavy sigh he pressed one more chaste kiss to his lips, “come along my love, let’s get you cleaned up.”


	10. Token

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Hello/goodbye kisses

“I love you.”

Nicky’s lips twitched where he lay nestled in Joe’s arms. He did not open his eyes, did not otherwise react to his quiet declaration, continuing to feign sleep. A low chuckle tumbled from Joe’s lips at the sight, allowed himself to brush back the strands of hair that had drifted over his eyes.

He was tempted to drift back to sleep, if only because everything felt blissfully calm for once in far too long. This hotel was nice, maybe a little too institutionalized, like the dozens of others they’d stayed in over the years, but the view made up for it. Even now he could hear the sea crashing against the cliffs outside their window.

Far more importantly, he was warm and content, with Nicolò here at his side without any of the tension in his face, his body, that had plagued him for the past few weeks. Things had been difficult since their escape from Merrick Pharmaceuticals, since Booker, since Andy.

They had needed this.

Nicky hummed, squeezed one of his hands, and shifted a little bit, a precursor to him waking up properly, ready to start their day. Joe nearly groaned, content as he was but when those lovely seafoam eyes met his, glassy and untroubled, he found he didn’t mind in the slightest. It had been far too long since Nicky had looked at him without shadows in his eyes, without that faraway gaze reliving old memories.

“Good morning,” Nicky murmured, voice thick and rumbly.

Joe just nuzzled his face into his neck, holding him tighter and earning a low chuckle from the man he loved.

“How about,” Nicky continued. “I go to that café down the street and get us some of those amaretti?”

Joe felt his hand in his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp and sending shivers down his spine, something that was decidedly unfair. He’d been craving those particular biscotti for days now, since they’d arrived but he hadn’t had the wherewithal to actually go looking while he and Nicky settled into some peace and quiet.

Of course, Nicky would have gone looking immediately.

But he did not want him to leave, did not want that calloused hand to stop petting at him and did not want to be left in an empty bed. What a cruel, cruel world. A sigh eased from his lips as indecision warred within him, mind still drowsy and uncertain until Nicky laughed.

“Yusuf I’ll be less than five minutes.”

“A small eternity without you by my side.”

“You have survived far longer.”

“Never by choice by beloved.”

Joe could practically feel Nicky roll his eyes, certainly felt the tug on his curls in reprimand but that only made him grin, “Shall I give you a kiss to remember me by?” he teased.

Pulling back, Joe found Nicky looking at him with one raised eyebrow, expression jovial and sarcastic, not that he cared in the slightest. Pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, he felt Nicky soften against him, legs entangling briefly with his. Joe supposed this was a good enough trade for the emptiness of his bed and the promise of amaretti.


End file.
